SSC is the new WMD. Pass It Around. (Social Security Crisis)

[priapis]

Make sure everyone draws the paralell.

He made up his mind to do something, now he has to make up an emergency. just like Iraq, no difference.

No WMD there, no SSC here.

Its solvent till 2050'ish.

[rodeodance]

1. good one!!

[Pirate Smile]

2. There is a Washington Post article that states Bush is going to sell the

SSC the same way he sold the Iraq War. I did a quick search for it here and at the WP web site and couldn't find it (but I've been really busy today and didn't have much time to dig). It was a general but long article about plans for the second term.

We need to find that.

[NoFederales]

3. The "Crisis" is a Damned Lie

This issue was the primary reason I registered on DU tonight. There has been zero press on this in my neighborhood. Using the government's own GAO/CBO numbers, SS is solvent until 2052 at which point if nothing is done, incoming revenues will then begin to match only 80% benefits. This is not a crisis by any rational argument. But there is some adjustment necessary. How to do so? The $90,000 cap set for 2005 could be lifted entirely. And why not? Why should the wealthiest only have payroll taxes on their "first" $87,000 ($87,000 is the current cap)? When Alan Greenspan recommended the payroll tax change back in Ronald Reagan's administration, lower and middle income wages carried the load (the wealthy were benefitting from Reagan's tax cuts)--why not a tiered % to suit level of income? These millions over the next few decades will more than offset decreased benefits. Do not believe that the young laborer of today must shoulder a back-breaking tax for his elders.

Various other economists, writers, and pundits have waylaid the Bush administration's imminent "crisis" recently. Google the names Paul Krugman, Randolph Holhut, John Berry, Greg Anrig, Kevin Drum, Mike Kinsley, and Josh Marshall, and others (I apologize for not knowing how to link URLs as yet). Privatizaton is not just a stupid euphemism, it cannot even work. Do not let the SS killers frame this issue any other way than it is: the death of Social Security.

The Death of Social Security will be a huge sin of greed if it's allowed to happen. Call your political reps and put the question to them FOR THE RECORD; and it will be especially heinous if ANY Democrat sides with the Republicans on this issue--surely this would be enough to throw them out of the party? Al Gore's idea of a lockbox on SS Treasury funds sounds pretty good: maybe that's why the politico-corporatists howled and derided the idea--it scared them to think that they could locked away from their free lunch.

[unblock]

5. excellent first post!

welcome to du, nofederales!

:party: :toast: :hi:

[patdem]

6. Welcome to DU NoFederales...

Paul Krugman shows up regularly in Editorials. Thanks for joining. You certainly seem to have a handle on the issue of SS and I appreciate your passion and insight, as I lack both most of the time!

:hi: and :bounce: (as newyawker99 will say)

[0007]

8. I've been howling for the last two months here in Texas

to Representative Randy Neugebauer, Vice President Richard Cheney, Senator Kay Hutchison, Senator John Cornyn and President George Bush.

The whole country ought be howling and yipping like a band of hungry coyotes before its too late!

[itzamirakul]

9. I agree! We all need to be contacting our congressional

representatives and the media and insisting that they cover this point.

[NoFederales]

10. Follow-up Political Calls

I forgot to mention that if someone has the capability to blog a site that lists state-by-state the politicians and their positions on SS, it could be a powerful tool in the writing of letters to editors and pols.

If a site cannot be set up, maybe sending a short FYI to Josh Marshall at http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com, perhaps he might consider posting the data. It's worth a shot; and thanks for the greetings: here's to a true Oppositional Progressive Party and Holiday Spirits!

NoFederales

:toast:

[newyawker99]

11. Hi NoFederales!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[JaneEyrez]

4. Hear, hear...

If we do nothing else as political activists, we much make as much noise as possible to prevent the cynical destruction of an entitlement program that is all that stands between poverty and the ability to survive for so many Americans.

[priapis]

7. wall street stands to gain 900 billion in windfall?

this was the number tossed out by some radio show pundit.

bush sure knows how to take care of his people, thats for sure.

p.s. the drug cartel just got its xmas present from bushco also; his task force decided that it would be too costly to insure the safety of re-imported drugs from canada. (to be sure they are as safe as Vioxx)

[priapis]

12. "No WMD There, No Social Security Crisis Here " ("No WMD, No SSC")

until SSC is well known as acronym for social security crisis.


?

[WinnieBago]

13. I will

Yes, I will pass this around. Great idea. *passing to the left*